Book review – The society of singularities

The technological transformation process shapes our lives and our society on all levels. This is shown by the sociologist Andreas Reckwitz (2017) in his highly acclaimed book “The Society of Singularities.”
According to Reckwitz, there has been a fundamental change in the functioning of our society; Modern society, which existed from the age of industrialization to the 1970s, was characterized by a striving for rationalization and standardization. In contrast, today’s society is dominated by societal expectations to produce something extraordinary/exceptional. Having a life or an education like everyone else doesn’t sound attractive.
In an ongoing struggle, people try to stand out from others with social media (Linkedin, Facebook), for example, through experience or clothing. But it’s not just people who have to present themselves as something unique. The coffee he drinks or the shoes the modern human wears also needs unique characteristics (e.g., ethical production). The same logic also applies to companies, as for most companies, it is no longer just enough to produce a product as rational, functional, and standardized as possible. Instead, today’s products are more and more about individuality and difference. Hence, personalized and creative products are necessary to attract the scarce attention of people.
Therefore Reckwitz argues that the societal expectation for uniqueness/ exceptionality affects today every part of our lives. This process Reckwitz describes as “singularization.”

Ultimately social transformation towards a singularization of our life is partly enabled by digital technology, as factors like smartphone data allowed for the personalization of our products.

Literature:

Reckwitz, A. (2017). The society of singularities.